Not So Much Aftermath
by Authenti
Summary: ...because 'aftermath' is such a strong word. Features 2 OCs, one of which is wellknown by anyone who's read my other fics. Occasional swearing. 2007Movie


"Are you certain she is trustworthy?"

"Optimus, she's a talking lupine being with naturally-blue hair and eyes that seem like they look right through you. Of course I'm not sure!"

"Wait a moment, giant-robot-people. Did you just say Optimus? As in… Optimus Prime?" asked the wolf in question.

"You know of me?" the Transformer stared at her in surprise.

"I know of you – though I was so uncertain at first." She took a polite bow. "Authenti, wolf of many talents and, currently, servant to the Autobots – that is, if you'll have me."

"Well," began Ratchet, "this is unexpected. I do not detect tension in this organism that suggests she is lying…"

"You think dogs lie?" asked Ironhide; the fur raised on Authenti's neck.

"I'm terribly sorry," she interrupted, voice suddenly sharp, "but I really _despise _being referred to as anything less than a wolf. My canine cousins are somewhat less refined – or I like to think so. I like being better than others. It's a trait of mine that you'll simply have to take with a pinch of salt – figuratively, of course." Her fluffy, grey tail swayed behind her.

"Bizarre," Ratchet commented, more than a little confused.

"And I feel I must apologise for suddenly dropping onto Bumblebee's roof earlier. I figured it was the best way to get your attention at the time."

"Can't I just blast her? All our problems would be ended…"

"Cool it, Ironhide. I'm a lot more intelligent than most of the humans on this planet, so metaphorically, I class as one. I also firmly oppose the decision to be exterminated… I have an unfortunate intolerance to being hit with explosives." She grinned, and sat down again to await further questioning. Bumblebee, in car-mode beneath her, decided it would be better to ignore her presence for now.

"Weirdo," Jazz laughed, and did a handstand to land in vehicle form on the scuffed and broken pavement.

"Glad you noticed. Now, I think I have some explaining to do." Authenti folded her arms, and began. "I don't wish to explain how or why I know of you, but my sole wish is to aid the Autobots in any way I can – be it some kind of mission or just finding something relatively unimportant. My reasons are unknown even to myself, but I suggest just accepting that I do these things because I feel like it. I like to keep my life interesting, and I work best in a group, so obviously since your little group seems to be the only extraordinary thing on Earth right now I just had to drop by and offer my help. Not that there's anything really going on. Earth is kind of boring, if you ask me."

Optimus Prime thought for a while, then gave a faint smile. "I guess first of all you can try not to bother our scout any more."

"What? Oh, Bumblebee. Sorry, there." Authenti stepped down from the roof of the yellow car; the radio tuned into a few snippets of conversation.

"_Not a problem…_"

The wolf grinned and patted the shiny yellow roof absent-mindedly.

"Authenti! Here!" Ratchet tossed a small metal object in the wolf's direction. She ran several paces backwards, then leapt surprisingly high and caught it in her hand-like paws.

"Got it! I feel like I'm being made to play fetch, but I've got it!" She laughed and examined the thing.

It was a small sphere of some sort of tough metal, completely smooth except for linear markings engraved all over it.

"What do I do with it?" she called.

"Put it somewhere safe. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you what it is – only that you're to make sure it's safe."

"Safe? Hmm. I think I have a place." She took off running with the sphere in a small backpack of hers, which was decorated in various keyrings and patches of all kinds.

"Think she knows it's bugged?" Ironhide asked. Bumblebee kept a close watch on the tracking device in his hand.

"I wouldn't put it past her, she's a sharp one. But she didn't show any signs of it, and she seemed genuinely worried it was dangerous in some way." Ratchet moved away to start a conversation with Optimus, bored.

Meanwhile, Authenti was humming to herself. At first she couldn't place the tune, but then she remembered that it was a Morrissey song.

"Damn that girl for making me obsess," she grumbled, remembering who it was that had shown her Morrissey first, and continued humming as she loped across the landscape.

She finally reached her destination – a large, flower-filled field on the edge of the city limits – and headed for a cottage in the corner of it.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Coming…" came a silky voice from inside, and soon the door was opened to reveal a pale human with shoulder-length green hair that was spiked at the ends. "Oh, Auth! I had no idea you were going to drop by, or I'd have made some tea…"

"It's fine, it's fine… I just need you to look after this for me. Try not to experiment on it too much, or the owners might get mad."

"What on earth is this?" The human blinked, then took the orb with interest.

"Actually… I suppose I should introduce you to them… but would they…? Yes… no, hmm…"

"Shut up and think, then tell me what you're stuttering about."

"Miralin, have you ever heard of Autobots?"

"…and Decepticons? Yeah, I've heard of them, not sure if they exist, though. Why?"

"Because I think you'd be very interested in some friends of mine. You love your machines and all, right?"

"That'd be the most intelligent thing I've heard you say – ever!" Mira got a playful cuff around the head for that. For a second, her appearance briefly flickered from human to a cream-furred cat, standing on two legs just like Authenti… but then she bashed at her wristwatch and the image died, leaving her in cat form. "Oh, crap, it's broken again. Hold on…" She fiddled with the buttons on the watch, and finally she was human again.

"That thing is so crap. You know that, right?"

"Shut up, you. What do you know about technology?"

"Ah! That reminded me again. Wait here!"

"Wha-?" The door slammed in Mira's face, leaving her bewildered in her own hallway, sphere thing in hand (or paw, depending on whether her disguising mechanism was working or not).


End file.
